Local friends of George H.W. Bush root for him to rally

Evan Axelbank

3:26 PM, Dec 28, 2012

George H.W. Bush

Tom Pennington

Copyright Getty Images

George H.W. Bush's health condition has many in our community rooting for him to pull through.

For all the mementos Fran Hancock of North Palm Beach has collected in her decades as a behind-the-scenes player in Florida politics, it's memories of George Bush running for president in 1980 that stand out.

"He said 'I've never been in one of those RVs before. Can I ride up with you?' Send the guys on with the car. I said sure."

Hancock was chair of the northside Republican club and Bush was cozying up to power players in hopes of winning Florida's primary.

She eventually spent a vacation at the Bush compound in Maine and worked on his 1988 and 1992 campaigns.

She was taken by a public servant with a long resume who wasn't obnoxious about it.

"He was just so down to earth," she said. "He was the role model I thought other people should emulate."

She developed particular affinity for Bush as his impact on south Florida grew.

He played in Chris Evert's charity tennis tournaments in Delray Beach into his 80s. He also developed a statewide political network during his '80, '88 and '92 presidential campaigns that his sons, Jeb and George, would benefit from later on.